Unofficially, the NHL trading season opened this past week after general managers gathered for meetings in Toronto and true to form, it produced two transactions almost right away. First, the Pittsburgh Penguins sent Carl Hagelin to the Los Angeles Kings for Tanner Pearson and then on Friday afternoon, the Edmonton Oilers got into the action, trading Ryan Strome to the New York Rangers for his almost sound-alike and slumping contemporary Ryan Spooner. These were practically identical one-for-one deals that perfectly illustrated how two struggling teams, desperately in need of a change, will make a lateral trade in order to shake up a core that’s gone stale; or a player, in a mystifying slump that badly needs a change of scenery.

That it would take a face-to-face gathering to stimulate trade activity may seem counterintuitive in an era when everyone is so connected.

After all, GMs can reach each other by text or email instantly, compared to the old days when general...